Steroid hormones are naturally produced by human and animals. Most important steroids are 17β-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1) (both estrogens), testosterone as well as the synthetic ethinylestradiol (EE2). All substances consist of four carbon rings what makes them stable in the environment. Steroid hormones are secreted in urine and mainly enter the environment by waste water treatment plant (WWT...

Rural wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are recognized as a significant phosphorous (P)-emission source in the German sub-catchments of the Baltic Sea. But enhancement of P-removal is cost intensive especially for small communities. This study proposes a concept to efficiently reduce P-emissions from WWTP by introducing low-cost non-constructional measures and assessing the resulting change of...

A mass balance was assembled for perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in the Baltic Sea. Inputs (from riverine discharge, atmospheric deposition, coastal wastewater discharges, and the North Sea) and outputs (to sediment burial, transformation of the chemical, and the North Sea), as well as the inve...

Polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were investigated in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and surface waters of the River Elbe from samples collected in 2007. Concentrations of various PFCs, including C(4)-C(8) perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs), C(6) and C(8) perfluorinated sulfinates, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, C(5)-C(13) perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), C(4) and C(8) perflu...

BACKGROUND Removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater by post-ozonation has been investigated in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) temporarily upgraded with full-scale ozonation, followed by sand filtration, as an additional treatment step of the secondary effluent. Here, the SPEAR (species at risk) indicator was used to analyse macroinvertebrate abundance data that were col...

Complete biodegradation of a newly-synthesized chemical in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) eliminates the potential for novel environmental pollutants. However, differences within- and between-WWTP microbial communities may alter expectations for biodegradation. WWTP communities can also serve as a source of unique consortia that, when enriched, can metabolize chemicals that tend to resist ...

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) equipped with sludge digestion and dewatering systems, the reject water originating from these facilities contributes significantly to the nitrogen load of the activated sludge tanks, to which it is typically recycled. In this paper, the impact of reject water streams on the performance of a WWTP is assessed in a simulation study, using the Benchmark Simul...

The dramatic spread of antibiotic resistance is a crisis in the treatment of infectious diseases that affect humans. Several studies suggest that wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are reservoirs for diverse mobile antibiotic resistance elements. This review summarizes findings derived from genomic analysis of IncP-1 resistance plasmids isolated from WWTP bacteria. Plasmids that belong to the I...

Many studies attest to the pollution of surface water, wastewater and water intended for human consumption by organic molecules including emerging drug residues at trace levels. These emerging micropollutants are mostly little or not removed by sewage treatment plants and can consequently be found in the natural environment. The occurrence of antibiotic drug Sulfonamides in influent and effluen...

The disposal and treatment of wastes generated in the leather industry has been the focus of several studies around the world. They intend to meet environmental legislation and make the process environmentally and economically viable. The anaerobic digestion process, which occurs in steps that involve acid and methane forming bacteria, can be an alternative since it turns the waste into renewab...